Friday, July 8, 2011

Happy Fourth, er, Seventh?

I hope you had a fun & peaceful 4th of July. America, (heck) yeah, and all that. This will be a bulleted post because yet again I've procrastinated on posting and don't feel like fleshing out a month's worth of stuff :-)

-First and foremost I wanted to let those of you that are attending the sentencing hearing for my little incident that (as I suspected it would) it has been postponed to September 14th. This is why I didn't want to post too much detail so far in advance, because I had a feeling the date/time might change. It might yet again, who knows. I'll keep you guys updated though. It's perfectly fine, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong, so don't panic ;-)

-I had a fantastic time riding with the Mt. Pleasant Cruiser Bike group back on the Solstice (June 21st) and also found out about another nifty bike group: The Chain Gang (warning: it looks their website hasn't been updated in awhile-they do have a pretty active presence on Facebook though). They also do monthly rides. Of course, I forgot my stupid camera again, so have no pictures to post. It was a fun ride at twilight, with a fantastic lightning show once it got dark. We looped down around the monuments and shouted "Woo!" and "Summer!" at random people & tourists who were probably slightly bewildered and bemused at the strange group of cyclists wearing bikinis & swimsuits (or just clothes, in my case. (Guys, we rode by my Boss (that's Boss with a capital B) at one point, and I would have died if I had worn a bikini...) Definitely check these guys out when you get the chance.

-The Bike House is having a fundraiser on July 16th from 8pm-1am at 1232 Euclid St. NW #2. $10 gets you in and they will have beer! Oh, and other bikey stuff. Please do consider at least making a donation even if you can't stay for the party. They do good stuff. They need to keep doing good stuff, and they need your help to do it.

-I missed the ANC meeting yesterday, but luckily the vote was tabled anyway. If you, like myself, find it highly annoying that the bike lane in the 1600-1700 blocks of Columbia Road just kinda disappears, consider attending the ANC 1C zoning meeting (I know, zzzzzz) to show that there is plenty of community support for these bike lanes. It's currently scheduled for August 1st at 7pm at the Kalorama Recreation Center. Personally, I think its important that these bike lanes are in place to connect to the lanes/sharrows in the rest of Adams Morgan. As it stands, riding in the 1700 block of Columbia is a stressful exercise in dodging loading trucks, double-parkers, jay-walking pedestrians & u-turning vehicles, and all I want to do is get my FroYo, yo.

-If you are a twitterer, you may have noticed some hysteria concern over DDOT's appearance of backtracking on the L & M cycletracks. (I don't think they have backtracked, so much as they've kinda stalled). I don't bike in that area very much, so I don't have much to say on a personal perspective other than I think more bike infrastructure is better than less. As usual, WABA has a much more knowledgeable and informed opinion than I do. Is this a sign of a "bike backlash"? I don't think so. As long as bike lanes aren't being *removed*, I will refrain from weeping openly. I would love to see more lanes installed (You're welcome, Chicago), but I also understand that there is another side to the pendulum and I think this is simply a calming down rather than the "full steam ahead" attitude we enjoyed with Mr. Klein (again, you're welcome Chicago).

-However, then there is this. (Linked to via another blog because it seems the League of American Bicyclists' website is down...) I don't know how safe streets (and sidewalks) are not in the federal interest, but I guess thats why I will never run for Congress (well, that. And also those embarrassing kegger photos from college). A link to contact your reps in Congress is embedded in that link. Please contact them.

As you may have noticed, its a little hot outside. By a little hot, I mean it's effing blazing with 10,000% humidity. How do you guys stay cool in the heat?

-I take frequent breaks in air-conditioned establishments when needed.
-I take advantage of the various spray-fountains/parks around the neighborhood
-I stay hydrated. If you have a smartphone, you can download the TapIt app to locate businesses that are willing to refill your water bottle. Very handy.
-Baby wipes.
-A bandana or headband to keep sweat from dripping in my eyes :-(
-It's a scientific fact that FroYo is zero calories when the heat index reaches 100*.
-I think about Alaska and the North Pole a alot.

3 comments:

I stay cool when riding a long time when I put my Camelbak water pack into the freezer overnight. In the morning, it's a bit solid, and I put it on, and it keeps my back cool, and the water stays cold all day long! :) :)